1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of archery, and more particularly to a device for cocking a crossbow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crossbows in general have a very high drawing force--on the order of hundreds of pounds--that make them impossible to cock without force-multiplying tools.
Numerous force-multiplying devices are known, operating on the principle of levers or toggles, for enabling one to cock a crossbow. Such devices typically attach, temporarily, to the stock of the weapon, and are removed once the bow is cocked. Even with such devices, cocking can be difficult, and a particular cocking implement may not be useful for bows of substantially different sizes. In addition, such mechanical devices put the user in the vicinity of the bow while cocking, creating risk to him in the event of slippage or breakage of the device of the crossbow.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide archers with a universal crossbow cocking apparatus, useful on bows of different designs, sizes and strengths.
Another object is to avoid reliance on mechanical force-multiplying mechanisms, and to enable the user to get a safe distance away from the crossbow while it is being cocked. A related object is to greatly increase the force multiplication ratio of such a device, and to enable the work of cocking to be done by a small motor, if desired.